Saint Lucia to reopen tourism sector soon

Published on : Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Saint Lucia will be reopening the tourism sector in a responsible manner through a phased approach from June 4th onwards.

The minister of tourism Dominic Fedee unveiled the strategy which protects nationals and visitors from the threat of Covid-19 through advance testing; daily screening and monitoring of staff and visitors; sanitisation at various points throughout the travellers’ journey; and new social distancing protocols.

Phase one of the reopening includes welcoming international flights at Hewanorra International Airport from the United States only. Even though the United States has more confirmed cases of the coronavirus than any other country.

Travellers should check with airlines regarding flight schedules and rules prior to booking.

Around 1,500 hotel rooms in Saint Lucia are being prepared to open in early June, pending completion of a new Covid-19 certification process in anticipation of the first visitors.

Saint Lucia closed its borders to international markets on March 23rd in order to protect residents and mitigate the spread of the virus.

Safety protocols is being followed in the island and is recommended by the World Health Organisation and the Caribbean Public Health Agency, collaborated with the local Department of Health and Wellness, observed shelter-in-place guidelines, and created a Covid-19 Task Force to plan for a responsible reopening.

So far, in Saint Lucia there are 18 cases of Covid-19, and all individuals have fully recovered.